blog7t: December 2017

Sunday 31 December 2017

The Hampshire and IOW parkrun venues

The ceremonial county of Hampshire consists of Hampshire County Council and the unitary authorities of Southampton and Portsmouth. I have also included the Isle of Wight on this page which is a unitary authority and a county.

The pins on the map mark the locations of parkruns within the county. The green pins show the venues I have officially visited while the red pins are venues that I still need to visit. The list below covers 5k events that are open to the public, not parkruns in prisons or junior parkruns.

Alice Holt - Alice Holt Forest, Bucks Horn Oak, Farnham, Surrey (the course is located entirely within Hampshire)
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Forest paths / stony paths / tree roots
Profile: undulating / hilly
Notes: Watch out for high speed deer and gruffalo. The official Forestry Commission address of the venue says that it is in Surrey, but the entire course is run within Hampshire.
Further reading: My Alice Holt parkrun blog entry

Andover - Charlton Playing Fields, Andover, Hampshire
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Mostly grass. Some tarmac and gravel.
Profile: Flat
Notes:
Further Reading: NOT YET VISITED

Basingstoke - The War Memorial Park, Basingstoke, Hampshire
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Grass and tarmac
Profile: Undulating / Hilly (TBC)
Notes: Occasionally takes place at an alternative venue (Crabtree Plantation)
Further Reading: NOT YET VISITED

Brockenhurst - Brockenhurst College TBC (event uses two different venues)
Course:
Underfoot:
Profile:
Notes: Venue changes to Wilverley Inclosure during the winter - One lap / gravel paths / undulating
Further Reading: NOT YET VISITED

Eastleigh - Fleming Park Old Golf Course, Eastleigh, Hampshire
Course: 3 laps (one small, two large)(I think)
Underfoot: Grass
Profile: Flat / Undulating
Notes:
Further Reading: NOT YET VISITED

Edenbrook Country - Edenbrook Country Park, Fleet, Hampshire

Course: A start finish tail and 2 laps

Underfoot: Gravel paths (with varying sixes of pebbles/stones)

Profile: Flat

Notes: Look out for the dragon!

Further reading: My Edenbrook Country parkrun blog post

Fareham - Cams Hall Estate, Cams Hill, Fareham, Hampshire
Course: Out and back
Underfoot: Easy access trail path
Profile: tbc
Notes: Narrow course - No dogs or buggies. No onsite parking.
Further Reading: NOT YET VISITED

Ganger Farm - Ganger Farm Sports Park, Romsey, Hampshire

Course: Two and a half laps

Underfoot: Grass and tarmac

Profile: tbc

Notes:

Saturday 30 December 2017

The Oxfordshire parkrun venues

The ceremonial county of Oxfordshire.

The pins on the map mark the locations of parkruns within the county. The green pins show the venues I have officially visited while the red pins are venues that I still need to visit. The list below covers 5k events only, not junior parkruns or those not open to the public.

Abingdon - Rye Meadow, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Course: Just under two laps (tbc)
Underfoot: (tbc) At least part on a farm track
Profile: tbc
Notes:
Further Reading: Not visited

Banbury - Spiceball Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire
Course: possible different summer / winter routes (tbc)
Underfoot: tbc
Profile: fairly flat
Notes: Course page says some tight corners, not suitable for buggies
Further Reading: Not visited

Bicester - Langford Village, Peregrine Way, Bicester, Oxfordshire
Course: 2 clockwise laps (winter course is 3 laps which avoid potentially muddy sections)
Underfoot: tbc
Profile: tbc
Notes:
Further Reading: Not visited

Didcot - Ladygrove Park, Bowmont Water, Avon Way, Didcot, Oxfordshire
Course: point-to-point which also contains loops around the park (tbc)
Underfoot: tbc
Profile: tbc
Notes:
Further Reading: Not visited

Harcourt Hill - Brookes Sport Botley, Harcourt Hill Campus, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Course: Two clockwise laps
Underfoot: Grass
Profile: Flat
Notes:
Further Reading: Not visited

Henley-on-Thames - 40 Acre Path, Tilebarn Close, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Course: Two anti-clockwise laps
Underfoot: Trail
Profile: Undulating / Hilly
Notes: Very narrow sections and steep sections - No dogs and no buggies.
Further Reading: Not visited (hopefully 2024)

Horspath - Horspath Sports Ground and Athletics Track, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Course: Two laps

Underfoot: Grass (tbc)

Profile:

Notes:

Further reading: Not visited

Oxford - Cutteslowe and Sunnymeade Park, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Course: Two and a bit laps (I think)
Underfoot: Mixed terrain - Grass, paths, tarmac
Profile:
Notes:
Further Reading: Not visited

University Parks parkrun - University Parks, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Course: Two laps

Underfoot: Compacted gravel

Profile: Flat

Notes:

Further reading: Not visited

Witney - West Witney Sports and Social Club, Burford Road, Witney, Oxfordshire
Course: 3 laps (1 small, 2 large)
Underfoot: tbc
Profile: undulating (tbc)
Notes:
Further reading: Not visited

Sunday 24 December 2017

parkrun at the movies

This collection of parkrun venues have all been used as filming locations for movies. I've also listed venues where the filming is very local and worth noting.

It's a work in progress, so this list will grow as I research the venues.

Black Park - Captain America: The First Avenger, Harry Potter (multiple), Atonement, Cinderella, Stardust, Casino Royale, Goldfinger, Octopussy, Carry on Cowboy, Carry on Dick, Carry on at your convenience, Carry on Henry, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Dracula (multiple), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (tbc / more to follow)

Bois de Boulogne - The Da Vinci Code

Crystal Palace - The Italian Job ('You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off' scene and also the scene where they test the Minis)

Ellenbrook Fields (closed) - Saving Private Ryan

Forest of Dean - Star Wars: The force Awakens - Forest scenes filmed in Puzzlewood, which is part of the forest.

Fountains Abbey - The Omen 3, The Witcher,

Fulham Palace - The Omen

Gunnersbury Park - Bend it like Beckham, The World's End

Hampstead Heath - Notting Hill, Scenes of a sexual nature.

Keswick - Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Derwent Water used as approach to Maz Kanata's castle.

Lyme Park - The Awakening

Lullingstone - The Beekeeper (filmed at Castle Farm)

Newbury (Greenham Common) - Star Wars: The Force Awakens - The Resistance base

Oldham - Fool Me Once

Osterley - The Dark Knight Rises, The Duchess, Miss Potter, Mrs Brown, Great Expectations, The Young Victoria, (more to follow)

Richmond Park - Billy Elliot, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Into the Woods, Get Santa.

Southwark Park - Stan Lee's Lucky Man (TV).

St. Albans - Wonka (2023)

Tooting Common - Snatch (scene filmed in the Lido)

Tring (closed) - Avengers: Age of Ultron - Tring School interior used (the school and the park were originally The Tring Park Estate)

Wollaton Hall - Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (Wayne Manor)

Wormwood Scrubs - The Italian Job (entrance to prison)

Yeovil Montecute (closed) - The Libertine, Sense and Sensibility, Wolf Hall

Sunday 17 December 2017

Roundshaw Downs parkrun

Historically, the area now known as Roundshaw Downs was used as farmland, but at the beginning of the 20th century it became home to Beddington Aerodrome, which was established in order to protect London during the First World War. The site and surrounding area, including the adjacent Waddon Aerodrome, became home to National Aircraft Factory No.1 which mass produced aircraft for the war effort.

Once the First World War was over, the site was handed over for use in civil aviation before being taken back under RAF control during the Second World War. The aerodrome eventually operated under the name of Croydon Airport. Until the end of the 1950's this was London's main airport (and for a time, Britains only major international airport). It is famous for developing the Air Traffic Control Tower, and the distress phrase 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday' was conceived here. The lack of expansion opportunities at the airfield eventually lead to Croydon Airport closing down.

roundshaw downs

Over the next 30 years, nature took over and thrived. Then in 1993 the area was formally renamed Roundshaw Downs and declared a Local Nature Reserve the following year. Today, Roundshaw Downs covers 52 hectares area of land located mostly within the London Borough of Sutton, but a strip of the grassland (which is part of the parkrun course) at its eastern border is technically located within the London Borough of Croydon.

On 18 July 2009, almost 50 years to the day after the airport closed, the downs became home to Roundshaw Downs parkrun - it is the 15th oldest UK parkrun still in operation. Attendance figures had hovered around the 100 mark for many years, but 2017 saw a noticeable increase and you can now expect to find in excess 150 attendees on a regular basis.

the start and opening stretch / de havilland heron

This was my third visit to Roundshaw Downs parkrun, however it was the first time I had ever run here on a Saturday. My first two visits were as part of my New Year's Day doubles in 2012 (a Sunday) and 2013 (a Tuesday). After those two visits I didn't write full venue blogs, so coming back gave me the opportunity to give the venue a full blog7t write-up.

I drove to the venue on a beautiful, but very cold morning in December 2017 - in fact, around 150 parkruns had cancelled due to slippery conditions across the UK, but I was confident that the off-road nature of the course here would keep the risk of cancellation low. Free on-street parking can be found just a few metres away from the start-finish area on Imperial Way - named after Imperial Airways, which was the forerunner of British Airways.

around the course [photo of me: richard carter]

Other travel options are possible; if you take the train you will find that Purley Oaks and Sanderstead are the closest stations. Buses run along the main A23 and you can alight at Croydon Airport bus stop. There aren't any formal bicycle parking options on the downs themselves, although there are some bike racks on the opposite side of the A23 within the Purley Way Playing Fields car park. There are no toilet facilities available here, so you may need to plan an alternative into your pre-run prep. There is a Costa and a McDonalds nearby.

In the vicinity of the downs you will find many large, modern superstores and warehouses. However if you take a closer look you may spot some of the original airport buildings - most notably on the main A23 Purley Way is the former terminal building, Airport House. In front of this is the unmissable sight of an aeroplane raised on struts - it is a de Havilland Heron, which is the type of plane that made the last passenger flight from the airport in 1959. Coincidentally it was almost certainly built at the de Havilland factory in Hatfield whose former land was home to Ellenbrook Fields parkrun (event is now permanently closed).

the wooded section

Anyway... the parkrun meeting point is just inside the border of the downs at the end of Imperial Way. The run takes place over two, identical, anti-clockwise laps, it is 100% off-road, mostly grassy, dirt paths which do become muddy in the winter. As it was so cold during this visit, the ground was frozen and I would have gotten away with wearing road shoes, however at this time of year it is advisable to use a pair of trail shoes.

The main briefing and start of the run are just a few metres to the west of the meeting point, and from here the participants head off for a trot around the downs. It's worth keeping an eye out for the Sussex Cattle in one of the large enclosures - the cattle help to maintain the delicate balance of the chalk grassland. By eating the grass, they create space for rare wildflowers to grow and these attract a diverse variety of insects which in turn provide food for other species like the Wasp Spider. The area is also home to other forms of wildlife such as voles, kestrels and skylarks.

the view and top of the course

The general theme of the lap is the first 1.8km is spent ever-so-slowly edging your way uphill. At just over a kilometre in, it feels like the top has been reached and you are rewarded with a fantastic view looking towards the centre of Croydon and beyond. However, the course weaves around and through a small patch of woodland where the elevation continues to rise. Upon exiting the woodland, the grass underfoot was longer and it took a bit of extra effort to get through.

There is a berm running north-south through the downs and this is now crossed via an opening - it's a tight turn and narrow and I found it broke my rhythm. After this, at about three quarters of the way around the lap, you finally reach the highest point. Which means the last 700 metres or so is back downhill. It's not quite as simple as it sounds because the downhill stretch is quite bumpy underfoot, so it's not as straight-forward as just letting gravity do all the work. Also, if you look to your left you may spot some of the old airport tarmac.

heading back down at the end of the lap

With two laps complete it's a simple case of entering the finish funnel, collecting your finishing position token and having them both scanned by the barcode scanner who'll you'll most likely find back at the original meeting point just a few metres away. Once all the participants have completed the course, the team head off to the local Mcdonalds for the post-run social where everyone is welcome to join them.

The official results for event number 453 were processed and online a short while later and 126 people took part. A nice bonus for me was that I ran a new personal best for the course by over a minute. I'd also recorded the run using my Garmin and if you want to see the course in more detail please have a look at my Strava file, here - Roundshaw Downs parkrun 453.

finish

Before leaving I headed around the course to take some photos and chatted to some marshals. I also popped over to the main road to have a look at the striking RAF memorial which is dedicated to all the people connected to Croydon and/or the aerodrome that lost their lives during the second world war. Later on that day, I converted the GPS data into a course fly-by video by using the Relive app on my phone. You can view the video for that on youtube, here - Roundshaw Downs parkrun course fly-by video.

Related blog7t pages:

The London parkrun venues

Pages

Sunday 31 December 2017

The Hampshire and IOW parkrun venues

Saturday 30 December 2017

The Oxfordshire parkrun venues

Sunday 24 December 2017

parkrun at the movies

Sunday 17 December 2017

Roundshaw Downs parkrun

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